Resilient vehicle-wheel.



G. H. WEBER.

RBSILIENT VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.6, 1913.

1,094,616,l Patented Apr.28,1914.

Cgi

Unire sfrafrn CHARLES H. WEBER, GF -HLIIRD, OHIO.

RESILIENT VEHllClL-VHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914i.

Application filed February 6, 1913. Serial 1\T o. 746,426.

To all whom it may conce-m:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. VEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hilliard, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Resilient VehiCle-lVheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to resilient vehicle wheels of a type designed to replace the prescnt type of pneumatic wheel.

One object of my invention is to provide a wheel of the character described built up from the ordinary wheel body portion now in use. This I accomplish by so constructing the tread element of my wheel that it may be readily mounted upon wheels now in general use. This I accomplish by the provision of a plurality of semielliptical springs preferably rigidly carried by the tread element and of a suiiicient resiliency to prevent any relative movement between the center portion of the wheel and the tread element when the wheel is used as a driver. By thus eliminating any link connections between the two pieces, too sudden a starting of the vehicle may cause a slight slippage of the tread portion, which will in turn relieve the vehicle body itself of considerable strain.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of 'reference designate corresponding parts, and which:

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of my preferred type of wheel construction, F ig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l'looking in the direction of the arrows, and, Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows, and, Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective showing my preferred construction of the overlapping spring ends.

ln the drawings, l have shown the center piece of my wheel as being of a type similar to the ordinary type of wheel now in use and comprising the hub portion 1, spokes 2 and felly 3. A peripheral band l having hooked edges 5 and 6 is shrunk upon the felly to assume the position indicated. The hooked edge 5 is constructed to embrace a ring element 7 which'is made removable and which forms one edge of the channel on the rim portion of the felly. rl'he other edge is formed by the removable ring 8 inA split and held together by means of the double-ended threaded bolt 9 and is adapted to seat itself upon a supplemental removable ring 10 fitting into the downwardly eX- tending hook-shaped edge 6. lt will be noted that this hook 6 is of a construction having a slightly less external diameter than the external diameter of that portion of the band 4 directly adjacent the felly. rllhe adaptation of these peculiar types of remov-r able rings are for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The tread portion is shown as comp-rising the ordinary rubber portion 11 and mounted in any desirable manner upon a metal rim 12. lt is aimed that this metal rim 12 shall carry a plurality of semielliptical springs 13, each spring being constructed so that its free ends will be overlapping as indicated at la in Fig 1. These springs are secured to the rim 12 by the counteisunk head rivets 15 and one end of each of the springs 13 is provided with an outwardly projecting lug 16, while its opposite end is provided with a complement-al slot 1'?.

lfhen the parts are in assembled condition as shown in Fig. 1, vthe pins 16 are adapted to co-act with the slots 17 to prevent movement of the springs 13 out of their normal position. lf it is desired to mount the tread portion upon the vehicle wheel proper, the rings 8 `and 10 are removed by loosening of the double-ended bolt 9 and inasmuch as the hooked edge 6 is inward of the level of the major portion of the band el, the application 'of the tread portion thereto is a comparatively simple matter. 1t is aimed that the springs 13 be of such a width as to conveniently occupy 'the channel formed between the rings 7 and 8 after the latter has been again placed in its true position. lt will be obvious, therefore, that lateral shifting of the tread portion Will be practically precluded. However, to insure against any accidental dislodgment of the springs 13 and also to prevent bothersome rattle while the wheel is in use, l provide a plurality of resilient buffers' 18 adapted to be placed between the rim 12 of the tread portion and the overlapping ends of the springs 13. In order that these butler elements be not accidentally dislodged, l have made the projecting pins 16 on the spring ends of a sufficient length to partially extend upward Within the bu'ers 18 and have also drilled and oountersunk the iini l2 and piovdecl tne seme with count-elsunli heed screws adapted to gitip the buffets i8. ln this manner the tread poition is not only prevented from accidentel dislodgment, lont the bothersome rattle is also positively precluded.

lt will be understood that the springs 13 me mede sufficiently strong, especially when cooperating Wit-li the comparatively uniinished surfaces of the loend 4:, to pfevent the center portion fiom icoteting Within the treed portion. "When the Wheel strikes in obstruction, the spiings i3 upon the lowei portion oit the Wheel will loe slightly spnezi epziit, which notion is penmittedby the pioyision et the pin r(ind slot construction l@ and 17 and it will, therefore, loe eppaient that e comparatively simple cushioning eo tion is obtained.

noeneie Afelly, e. lug on one end oli each overlapping spring; end @flopt-:rating- With et slot in tlie other end, and resilient butler elements se ouied to the treed and 'formed to t oveiI Said luge.

lin testimony whereof ll fifn my signetni'e in pyesence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES lll.. lslVit-nesses y lil/*ALTER L. Boon. Snnniieinod 

